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To get a trucking job, you must first make sure that you get your commercial driver’s license - or CDL. In most instances, you need to be 18 years of age and under federal law you need to be 21 years of age to drive across state lines or transport hazardous materials. You must pass the CDL general knowledge exam as well as any other exams for specific vehicles you’re training to drive. There are different exams for learning to drive a school bus, as well as any tanker vehicles or other specialized vehicles, for example.

In most states, you should expect to write an exam, pay a fee and take a skills test made up of three parts: road skills, basic handling skills and learning to do a pre-trip vehicle inspection. You’ll save a lot of time and cost if you enroll in a course with a school that has a more thorough program. You’ll also need to pass a drug test every two years in order to keep your CDL. Drivers handling international routes between the US and Canada, may find that transportation laws with our Northern neighbor can sometimes be much stricter.

The cost of most truck driving courses ranges from $2,000 to $4,000 and can take anywhere from 2 weeks to two months, depending on the amount of training per week. The best arrangement for beginning drivers is to apply to truck driving companies and enroll in the training academy attached to that company. That way, when you graduate, you’ll be assured of a great job and the company will pay for your training costs, so long as you agree to work off that cost by working for them.

New drivers are usually paired with a more experienced driver who can show them the ropes of long-haul driving as well as all the particular paperwork and other requirements of driving for that company. After about a month of this, the student driver becomes trained enough to be offered their own position as a long-haul truck driver. After a set period of time, the cost of training the student is written off and then the money really starts to roll in for that driver. Remember that not everyone has what it takes to be a long-haul truck driver. Some people simply aren’t cut out to stay alert behind the wheel for long periods of time. The matter becomes even more complicated when you drive as a member of a team.

Not everyone can relax and get some sleep while someone else is driving. Trying to sleep while your bed is bouncing and rocking is also something that needs to be learned if you want to be successful as a member of a driving team. But when you’re busy and getting paid by the mile, this sort of driving gig can easily get you $750-$900 every week…and that’s after taxes!

Most government and industry standard agencies recommend getting at least 44 hours of driving time before you qualify to receive your CDL. Just because a school offers a fast (2-3 week) program doesn’t mean that the training you receive will be thorough or even good enough. In most cases, the graduating student from one of these schools will be inexperienced behind the wheel and have few actual driving skills. By taking a more thorough course, the graduating student will have far more useable skills and will be able to get a better paying job, based on this experience, rather than wasting time as an inexperienced apprentice.

The sooner you’re on the road and driving solo, the faster you’ll start earning the big money. Drivers who keep a good driving record will always find lots more work.

There is a serious shortage of licensed truck drivers in the U.S. and Canada. Find out how to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and ultimately truck driving jobs on JobMonkey courtesy of writer, Lisa Jenkins. Learn all the CDL requirements and more for free online.

Look before you leap - Know yourself, and what you want in a job teaching English as a second language, before jumping into a position abroad. Enlist the help of your friends, family, or anyone you trust, who will help you answer the questions below as completely and candidly as possible. There are no right answers here; the only correct answers are honest ones.

1. First, take an inventory of who you are. This is not who you want to be. This is who you are, today.

- How would you describe yourself: physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?

- How would your best friend describe you?

- Your parents? Siblings?

- Your enemies?

2. Next, gauge your knowledge of English. Are you qualified to teach ESL? Begin by listing all the English classes you have ever taken. Specify whether these were literature, grammar, or writing courses. Also list any foreign language classes - these classes are helpful, since they are where most Americans learn English grammar.

- List the classes.

- How well did you do in these classes?

- Did you enjoy these subjects?

- In general, do you enjoy expanding your vocabulary, learning languages, exploring speech and communications concepts, analyzing literature, reading, writing, or any related activities?

- Have you taken at least one grammar or linguistics class? (Very helpful.)

- What English language skill do you enjoy using most? (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, or vocabulary)

- What English language skill(s) do you think you can teach? Which do you think you can enjoy teaching?

3. Third, analyze your preferences around working with people and teaching ESL:

- Do you like working with people?

- What type of people energizes you the most? Children? Adults? Teenagers? Students? Professionals? Other groups?

- Which ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds are you drawn to work with? Why? What experience have you had working with people with these backgrounds?

- Do you do well, or are you willing to try, facilitating large groups of people (e.g., 19+)? Mid-sized (10-18) or small groups (3 to 9)?

- Do you prefer working with individuals, one-on-one?

- Have you had experience teaching or tutoring? What did you enjoy about these experiences? What did you dislike?

- Are you an extrovert or an introvert?

- Are you a perfectionist?

- As a teacher, would you view yourself as the imparter of knowledge or a facilitator of learning?

- Have you ever been in a situation where a person was angry? How did you interact with that person?

- How about someone who was depressed?

- Do you have clear boundaries?

- Are you ready to step outside your comfort zone?

4. Now, list your past job titles. Next to each job title, list the skills you employed and those that you learned. It doesn’t matter how easy, or how unrelated the skill may seem to you, write it down. If possible, interview your past supervisors and co-workers and ask them to tell you what they think you brought to the table, and how your work improved over time.

5. Almost done! Enumerate your preferences and needs for cultural surroundings and daily environment.

- Do you need all the comforts of the average American city at all times, are you ready to completely rough it, or ok with something in between?

- What type of living space do you require? An apartment with electricity and running water? Or can you do without appliances, and indoor plumbing? Can you live in a temporary structure such as a tent?

- Have you ever been camping before? If yes, for how long and how did you enjoy the experience?

- Is having roommates ok? Do you want a private space? Need couples housing?

- Do you enjoy exploring cultures different from your own? Are you willing to research, respect, and comply with the cultural norms of another culture? Does your willingness extend to only certain cultures? Which ones?

- How much weight can you carry?

- Are you in good health? Will a doctor approve your travel abroad?

- Are you on a special diet?

- Do you need any medications?

- Are you able to commit to a contract teaching job (usually 10 to 12 months, but occasionally there are shorter assignments)?

- Do you have enough savings, personal contacts, access to resources, and guts to try freelance teaching/tutoring?

At this point, you should have a more complete picture of who you are, a general degree of interest in English and language learning, what some of your personal tendencies are, and whether you need a more Westernized, urban location, are looking for an experience with a very specific group of people, or ok with most any situation. At the very least, you should know by now whether you know enough English, or like English enough to learn what you need to know to teach it; whether you are a natural public speaker, have enough guts to try being one, or want to stick to tutoring; and the extent of your inclination to explore and be a part of another culture.

6. As a final exercise, rewrite the above responses into an essay that more succinctly addresses the following:

- Who are you?

- What do you have to offer in your ESL job?

- What attracts you to teaching English abroad?

- What do you think you will gain from the experience - the pros, the cons, and the degree of unknown? Do I believe the pros outweigh the cons and unknowns?

Whew! You made it to the end. Where you go from here, is up to you. The world holds unlimited possibilities for employment, and teaching ESL abroad is one of myriad niche. I guess the ultimate question is then, is this the best niche for you?

Do you have what it takes to pack your bags and leave home for ESL jobs abroad in Korea, Japan, Taiwan or another foreign country? Learn about TESL careers at home and overseas from Lisa Jenkins on JobMonkey.

Hotel jobs are very stressful and can be extremely tiring as you will work long days preparing and making food for guests as well as catering for functions that the hotel might be hosting like a wedding, party or corporate event. Qualified chefs are in short supply leaving many jobs unfilled longer than hotels would like. Some of the chef hotel jobs are the chef de partie or the sous chef, the demi chef, hotel cook, head cook, pastry chef, kitchen manager, master chef, sommelier, or the director of food. You also get the food preparers and other kitchen staff as well as the hotel management checking in every so often or liaising with you about events that are happening.

The hotel cook is usually called the head chef, master chef, or executive chef. If you are the head chef in a hotel, you will be responsible for the running of the entire kitchen as well as the creation of the menu and recipes for the other chefs to prepare and make. You will oversee the reparation of the food, check the making of all the dishes that leave each chef station, help train the new apprentice chefs and assistant chefs, and you will also encourage and lead your team of chefs. The head chef will also manage the banqueting hall and other food related facilities in the hotel like the bars and cafes, the hotel restaurant and any other food areas. As the head chef it is your duty to produce stunning menus and make the recipes that are used each day, so that uniformity is maintained in the food service along with consistent high standards. You are also the kitchen manager in a hotel and you will also have the tasks of handling the monetary issues of the hotel kitchen, ordering supplies and ingredients, and providing estimated consumption cost to the hotel management.

The chef de partie is the second in command in the kitchen and also known as the sous chef. If you have this hotel chef job, you are very busy and are basically the middle man between the head chef and the rest of the kitchen chefs and staff. You will be responsible for the running of the kitchen, for the organization of the menu, kitchen staff and recipes, of the food preparation, and ensuring that the food is up to the correct standards, as well as maintaining the hygiene and health regulations in the hotel kitchen. The chef de partie must know everything about the food that is being made, and works very closely with the head chef. You must know how to make all the different types of dishes on the menu.

The demi chef is also known as the demi chef de partie. You will work directly under the chef de partie and your job is to ensure that all the food going out of the kitchen is of the highest standards for each section. You will have different sections to control such as meat, vegetables, pasta, etc, and it is your job to facilitate the smooth running of your particular section. The demi chef also needs to keep in mind minimum wastage, correct hygiene and cleanliness, adhere to safety regulations, and take stock counts.

The commis chef is the next hotel chef in line under the demi chef and your job is to help the demi chef prepare the mis en place and ensure minimum wastage at all times. The commis chef will provide an accurate inventory of the ingredients used and clean and prepare the stations for cooking each shift. The commis chef has to be efficient and organized.

One of the sections of the hotel kitchen will be reserved for the pastry chefs. If you are a pastry chef, you are on a slightly different level to the other chefs and will be solely responsible for making and creating the delicious pastries for desert. The pastry chef will also organize and oversee the preparation and making of all the pastries, desserts, and ice creams. The pastry chef is basically the master chef of the confectionary department. You must bake cakes, desserts, make pastry, icings, and sugar decorations, and convey your tips and methods to the other pastry workers in your team. You will have to help train new chefs in the pastry department and give tips and advice.

The sommelier has the hotel job that involves all the drinks ordered by the guests. You must ensure that they are all prepared and served perfectly. You are also responsible for the correct pouring of wine and other beverages and have intricate knowledge of wines and how they complement the food on the menu.

The cooking industry is getting more exposure than ever thanks to television shows such as Top Chef and Iron Chef America. These programs have made people think about how they can launch a chef career of their own or even the keys to opening a restaurant. Learn how from Lisa Jenkins on JobMonkey.

I’m not sure there is anything more frustrating to today’s job search process than companies that post online for open positions, insist that candidates contact them only via online forms, and warn against trying any other means of applying for the position. Obedient job seekers then follow all the requirements, sit dutifully by and wait, and what happens? Nothing!

I shutter to think of all the resumes that have been submitted into the proverbial HR black hole. They go in, but do they ever come out?

I find it a bit dumbfounding that a company claims it needs candidates, goes through all kinds of measures to insist qualified candidates contact it in a specific way, and then proceeds to disregard the responses it receives or, at the very least, make it virtually impossible for a candidate to get into contact with them.

But, I know, “it’s the don’t call us; we’ll call you” attitude….

I’ve spoken to several HR personnel who loathe candidates phoning them. “I don’t have time to be on the phone with job seekers all day!” they wail. And to some extent, we can all understand that. Who wants to be on the phone saying the same thing over and over again? However, I also find it stupefying that a department that is set up for the sole purpose of supporting corporate employees and assisting in finding suitable new candidates is so averse to actually speaking with them!

The person I really feel badly for is the hiring manager, however. Here is a department that really needs help. It has an open position, and it wants to find a good person to fill it. So they put in a request through HR to advertise the opening. HR complies. After that, the hiring manager is at the mercy of the HR department to send up resumes of suitable candidates that fit the right parameters.

Sounds good, right?

The problem, of course, if that all too often candidates fall through the cracks. Something happens between HR and the hiring manager (the black hole, remember?). I’ve seen great candidates, meeting most, if not all, requirements posted, and yet they never hear anything. How can that be?

Is it that the company posted for a position that is not really open? Or is that HR gave up after reviewing the first 100 resumes and only sent up a few of those to the hiring manager? Or is that something breaks down in the communication between HR and the hiring manager, and quality candidates aren’t properly identified?

Honestly, I am not sure, but one thing is clear, there is a definite disconnect between candidates and companies. Recruiters love it because it makes them look like heroes when they find the best candidate, but it really wouldn’t be that hard for corporations if they would just let their hiring managers do what they should do best, find qualified talent for their team.

Somehow in today’s job search market we’ve all bought into this concept that the best candidates are the ones that most fit a list of qualifications someone drummed up as the “ideal,” which sounds good on paper but rarely works out the best.

Although companies most certainly need a way to screen out unqualified candidates, they also need to be careful that they don’t become so closed off that they impede the possible connection between the hiring manager and the candidate.

My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I am an MBA and certified professional r?sum? writer (CPRW). I have been a career consultant since 2002 with an additional 8 years of corporate hiring experience. You can check out my website that offers tools such as the No Nonsense Job Search Strategy guide and other Job Search Tips.

It’s a dog pile of bad news - plants closing, banks foreclosing, thousands more out of work just today. If you’re somewhere in the middle of that pile, you already know that “recession” has a human face. Maybe you’ve got a resume, but it’s getting you nowhere. Or maybe you haven’t yet started to work on that resume, and you’re wondering how to make it the best it can be. It’s got to be the best it can be - competition demands it.

What About Resume Software?

A resume builder (i.e., resume software) is an interactive tool to help you craft your own resume. Some you buy off the shelf at your office supply superstore. Others are downloadable straight from the internet - and available to use within minutes.

There’s Good News, And There’s Bad News

The good news is that many of them work well, quite well. Of these, if you can compose a straightforward sentence and follow step-by-step instructions, you can create a resume to be proud of. The bad news is that a lot of these resume builders are junk. Here are 3 things to keep in mind when looking for a product that will deliver real value.

1) Relevant Bells And Whistles

There are a lot of bells and whistles out there, with each product trying to distinguish itself in the marketplace. The question is, what is relevant? Some are obvious. Help with phrasing is relevant. Spell check is relevant. A list of action verbs is relevant. The ability to work up a companion cover letter is relevant. One company’s online resume builder displays thumbnails of all the resumes you’ve created, organized by the modification date. And it keeps track of which companies you’ve submitted to, and which resume version each received. Those little extras become more and more valuable the longer your job search.

2) Formatting Options

MS Word remains the standard format for resumes. But a resume formatted in MS Word won’t always cut it. For example, if you plan to post your resume to an online job site, you’ll likely need that resume formatted in ASCII text. If an employer requests a resume as a PDF attachment to an email, clearly you’ll have to be able to accommodate. So give extra points to the resume builder that offers or facilitates formatting in ASCII text, PDF, HTML, and RTF.

3) Ease Of Use

Often you can’t tell how easy a product is to use until you use it - then it’s too late to discover it’s no good. You can get an idea, though, with a bit of study. For those companies offering online resume builders, visit their websites and see that they navigate smoothly, that key information is readily available and well organized. Odds are their builders will be likewise well organized and easy to use. At least one company I reviewed lets you build your resume before paying for it; you can study the finished product from every angle before deciding if it’s worth the money.

Final Thoughts…

Can resume software make a difference? It can. Keep in mind that it won’t write the resume for you. Still, a good resume builder can do the heavy lifting of template design, layout and organization, formatting, help with phrasing, and error checking. And that might be just enough to fight your way out of the dog pile.

Former recruiter David Alan Carter evaluates and ranks the web’s most popular online resume builders and professional resume writers at the website http://www.BestResumeServices.org/

What are Christian Radio jobs?

Radio broadcasting jobs are evolving and presently it has grown to a status of reaching to millions of people across the globe, thanks to the advancement in the Radio broadcasting techniques and its proper use in reaching to the varied community of people all through the world. Christian Radio broadcasting offers the spectacular opportunity of spreading the Christian ideologies and God’s words across the people and makes them spiritually advanced. I heard many people talking about Christian Radio Job Opportunities. However, none of them is very clear about what are all opportunities available in a Christian Radio Broadcasting Job arena. Are they like usual radio broadcasting efforts? These Radio jobs are very distinctive. These jobs promote the idea of spirituality. The people who work on this field spread God’s words across the globe, reaching out to the echelon community of radio users.

Promoting Christian Values…

What are all you can do through Radio in spreading Christianity? One of the opportunities is the advertising in Radio, which effectively reaches the masses. The advertisement broadcasting need to be centered around the Biblical concepts, effective use of Biblical concepts in daily life and all broadcasting need to be attractive, cheerful, easily understandable and effective in promoting the Christian values. Beautifully knitted and edited advertisements are the cheapest and best method of reaching audience through Radio broadcasting.

Spiritual Consultancy

Offering spiritual consultancy is one another avenue in Radio broadcasting services for propagating Christianity and its values. It can be like online (through phone) question answer sessions. In the present world of unrest, stress and strain, there are many sisters and brothers who look for good spiritual consultancy services. Radio Broadcasting is the best medium for these types of God’s wishes. The same way through Radio, one can offer Christian and biblical based counseling for the needed. This will give the excellent opportunity of teaching the masses how to lead a meaningful Christian Life, how to come up with the challenges facing the society through spirituality and bringing together many unbelievers into the umbrella of believers. Radio Broadcasting Services are God’s gift in this way.

If you are looking for dedicated audiences in Christian Radio Broadcasting, presenting the Bible stories with all its charm, beauty and moral is the best way for this. This will bring dedicated listeners especially from the children, who are the best stuff to hear God’s words. The Christian Radio Broadcasting Jobs offer the great chance of work on people from all categories. The mass among which you work can be followers of Christianity and non-followers also. You can get them the basic ideas, how to lead a good Christian life, what are the essence of Christianity and biblical symbols. I will advise you to use all the most modern broadcasting techniques to reach to common people and make them spiritually wealthy.

Moreover, the Christian Radio broadcasting opportunities benefits you to get some extra income; you will feel that this is the apt place to work in this celebrity area of Radio Broadcasting.

John is a writer and contributor to Best Radio Jobs, Voice Over and Radio Jobs Salaries sites.

With advent of Radio broadcasting system and its amazing growth, primarily due to the exploded growth in the audiences, made Radio broadcasting as a major field in Media industry. The renewed interest in sports activities world over, brings cheers to Radio broadcasting services as they can offer pretty nice sports programs through Radio broadcasting, term it as sports casting. This sports casting is financially rewarding for the right people. Presently many Radio broadcasting services have been started dedicated to only sports related programs. These Sports Radio Broadcasting services attract many sports loving audiences and their ratings are growing day by day. These Sports Radio broadcasting services offer many job opportunities for right people.

To be successful in any field, one requires the basic knowledge of the area in which they excel. It requires lots of talents, hard work, dedication and much more understanding the changing world scenario. One of the job opportunities in Sports Radio is the excellent opportunity of Newsman/ woman, as it is simply news reading one need to have the ability to speak nicely in good voice, with proper pitching of the sounds, ups and downs.

The Skills you must have

A talented sport person can avail for the opportunity of commentator; this is a very tough job. It is unlike the TV commentator, TV commentator need to speak very less only, the video and visuals running parallel will keep the viewers in front of TV. Nevertheless, a sport casting in Radio is entirely different. You should able to make the audience to sit through full period of sports activity listening you. Unless the listeners get a feeling of minute-by-minute happenings in the field, the details you provide should act like visuals passing through the mind of the listener. Listener need to get the feeling of seeing the sports activity just in front of them, without missing ant instants.

To be successful in this job opportunity, you should be well equipped with origin of the sports, history, statistics and recent achievements. You need to be a prolific speaker, very good command over language, good voice musical toned, standing jokes and much more. Controlling your emotions plays a major part in your success are a sportscaster. The sports casting jobs in Radio bring you good revenue and much needed celebrity status. You will be known as an expert among the audiences.

Different Roles involved

If you are sports enthusiast and like to promote sports, you can be crewmember of the sports program produced for broadcasting in Radio. You can be producer, director, assistants, presenter, interviewer and any such jobs of a crew. Interviewing renowned sports icons is fantastic, not only you get a chance to spend good time with a celebrity but also you can get a close peep into their behavior, culture, mannerisms and charisma. The audience will be benefiting from these types of interviews.

The Sports radio Jobs are like any other jobs in Radio broadcasting, with the unique feature of knowing specially the in and out of sports activities, sports celebrities, history and origin of sports. Many opportunities await you in this growing field. If you have mastered the craft of Radio broadcasting and if you have all fundamental requisites for sportscasting, no need to worry go ahead and make a career in Sports radio broadcasting.

John Ash is a writer and contributor to Sports Radio Jobs, and a Radio Jobs website.

I’ve written several blogs and online articles now on this subject because I believe that a disservice has been done to most job seekers, and to career changers, in particular. Somewhere along the way, job seekers have been loaded down with overwhelming advice about how to spiff up their resumes, to create that “wow” factor that supposedly all employers are waiting at the edge of their desk chairs for.

The problem, of course, is that all this advice has done nothing more than cause job seekers to turn their attention away from what should be the main focus of their resume.

So let me cut through all the junk and give it to you straight: A resume is NOT about you!

A resume is about meeting the needs/desires of the audience you are trying to reach.

If you have ever taken any kind of writing course, probably eighth-grade English or something like that, you were told that all writing, no matter what form, is about communicating with an audience. The writer’s sole focus is to impart some kind of information to the reader in a way that the reader can grasp. If the writer fails to do that, it doesn’t matter how articulate, how intelligent, how fancy the writing is…the reader didn’t get it. Nothing was communicated.

This concept is especially true when it comes to resume writing. You as the job seeker want a job in X field in Y industry. You’ve done a lot. You’re an impressive person. You want the potential employer to know all about how great you are. But potential employer Z only has one job to fill, and he or she is primarily interested in whether you have the skill sets and background for that job. Anything beyond that is nice, but not very essential, even though it may mean a great deal to you.

Hopefully, you are catching my drift here. When you prepare a resume, it isn’t about telling potential employers all about you and your career. It is about communicating to them the vital information they are looking for! If you fail to do that, it doesn’t matter how long your resume is, how well written it is, what font you use.

Ultimately, that is why a resume that is deemed “poor” by most resume-writing standards can be successful and while one that is deemed “excellent” can be fruitless. It all comes down to how well the document meets the needs of the reader.

Does that mean I think you shouldn’t prepare a well-written, nice-looking document? No. It just means that I think those things are secondary to targeting the resume as much as you can to the employer you are trying to reach.

Job seekers hate hearing that their resume must be narrowly focused because, quite frankly, it is inconvenient and expensive if they are going to pay someone to prepare separate resumes for them.

But if you try to prepare a resume that is essentially nothing more than a professional obituary combined with your personal wish list (Look how great I am; now I want X job in Y industry for W salary), you are in for frustration, no matter which resume service you order. You’ve totally lost sight of your audience. And although you may have a document you are proud of, no one else really cares.

So take a good look at your resume. Is it all about you and what you want and what you can do or does it attempt to speak to your audience, offering them a solution to their problem?

My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I am an MBA and certified professional r?sum? writer (CPRW). I have been a career consultant since 2002 with an additional 8 years of corporate hiring experience. You can check out my website that offers tools such as the No Nonsense Job Search Strategy guide and other Job Search Tips.

Landing a job in the wine industry often times starts with a wine education. Before you get too excited, a wine education does not mean a wine tasting (although it would nice if they did). Many careers in the wine industry require Bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, or even a certificate of wine knowledge. Further, the colleges or universities that typically offer these programs are mainly located within the largest wine-producing states. However, let’s start with what programs are offered for a Bachelor’s degree and which schools offer them.

Bachelor’s degrees that are typically required in the wine industry are Viticulture or Enology degrees. These programs are intense with a varied science background. Basically, these are programs for the science of wine or winemaking. These degrees will be required if you aspire to one day be a winemaker or a viticulturist (grape grower). If getting dirty in the vineyards or cellar isn’t your style, a few schools offer Business degrees with concentrations in Wine Business. If managing or owning a winery is your future aspiration, this degree would be a perfect stepping stone.

Here are some schools that offer at least one of these programs in this field:

- Washington State University: This school offers a Viticulture/Enology Bachelor’s degree program.

- Cornell University of New York: This university offers a Viticulture/Enology Bachelor’s degree.

- Fresno State College: They offer a Viticulture/Enology Bachelor’s degree, Masters of Science in Viticulture/Enology, and certificates of study in Viticulture/Enology.

- Sonoma State University: This school offers a Wine Business Strategies Bachelor’s degree.

- UC Davis College: This college offers a Viticulture/Enology Bachelor’s degree.

To get into many of these programs, a background in math, chemistry and biology is recommended and preferred.

It goes without saying, but a relatively high GPA (requirements will vary by school) will aid the entrance to one of these schools- especially in those core classes. Further, many of the insiders consider this a “people business” and recommend high interpersonal skills as well as activities to support that fact.

Depending on the wine industry position your heart is set on, it may only require a certificate of knowledge. Certificate programs typically will only take one to two years for completion. These concentrations will vary by school, but examples of possible certificates are wine business, wine marketing, or viticulture/enology.

Many of the same schools that offer Bachelor’s degrees offer certificate programs; they can also be found under community colleges as a stepping stone towards a Bachelor’s. However, here are some schools that offer certificate programs:

- Northwest Wine Academy (through South Seattle Community College): This community college offers certificates in winemaking, wine marketing and sales, and wine and food pairing.

- Walla Walls Community College: This college offers a certificate of wine marketing and management.

- Santa Rosa Junior College: This school offers certificates in wine business and marketing, enology, and wine service and hospitality.

Finding and affording a college or certificate program can be a difficult task. Many schools offer financial aid and some offer scholarships, so it is important to do research on all the major schools for deciding on one.

Additionally, it is important to give consideration to which type of degree you wish to study before committing to a school. Some schools only offer Enology programs; others only put forward a wine business curriculum.

Finally, talk to some of the current students in the program. How are they financing their education? How difficult is the program for them? Are they able to work part-time or full-time while attending school? Make sure to find out all relevant information before choosing and applying to a school for your wine education.

Wine consumption in the U.S. is up. Maybe it’s the poor economy or the fact that it’s so visible in stores and on TV. Whatever the case, people are interested in wine. If it’s an obsession, then make wine a career. The industry is big and getting bigger, so finding winery jobs is easier. Learn the business and about wine degree programs on JobMonkey.

You can’t open a newspaper or switch on the news at the moment without hearing about the economic downturn that the whole of the western world is suffering from. Hardly any sectors are immune, and many companies are making redundancies in order to stay afloat. The worst part of this is that companies often slow their recruiting, and there are far more people competing for the smaller number of jobs.

It can seem hopeless, but having spent a long period of my life in online travel recruitment, I like to think I’ve learned a few tips to help you find work – even in times of recession:

Be Focused

If you have recently lost your job, you can end up panicking and being tempted to apply with a standard CV to anything and everything. This isn’t a good strategy, and can lead to further despondency (if you’re applying for jobs that you’re not qualified for, or have no experience of, then the likelihood is you’ll never hear back and consider it a slight against yourself.)

Instead of using this shotgun approach, take time to pick the jobs that you want the most and the ones that you are best suited to. Then, take the time to tailor your CV to each application and make sure that you meet all of the requirements that are listed on the ad in your CV and/or covering letter. Don’t make them read between the lines and be explicit with it, or you’ll risk blending in with thousands of other job seekers with similar skills. The truth is that if you send a generic CV to every employer you end up being an average fit to everyone, but a great fit to no one.

Don’t fall back on the idea that the number of applications you make is a ‘score’ of how well you’re doing. 5-10 tailored applications to targeted jobs every week are far more likely to pay dividends than 50-100!

Be Flexible

The worst thing about looking for work in a time of recession is that you become more beggar than chooser. In particular, you may need to drop your salary expectations and be prepared to travel. Jobs may be more prevalent in other areas of the country, so you greatly enhance your employment prospects if you’re prepared to relocate – maybe even consider international work if it’s an option. Because less people will be prepared to go this extra mile (often literally!), you may find that the competition is considerably less fierce giving you the edge that is so vital during a credit crunch.

Be Pro-Active

Successful job hunting always requires you to work extra hard to outdo the opposition, and you really need to be especially proactive in times of recession. I always tell clients that proactive doesn’t mean uploading your CV and occasionally looking out for travel jobs in the paper – you need to make phone calls, network and tailor an application to every single job you apply to. You may also consider signing up to an agency, and you’ll definitely a specialist for your industry, whether you need an expert in legal or online travel recruitment.

Bear in mind though that even then, recruiters aren’t an excuse to slip into habits. Be sure to chase them up, or you may well slip off their radar, and it doesn’t hurt to continue looking under your own steam.

Employers will increasingly turn to the internet to learn more about you, so consider joining professional networks like LinkedIn. A blog too is, in some professions, a great way to show off your talent and knowledge so consider this as a strategy to give you the edge.

Don’t Burn Out

If you panic and allow the newspaper talk to get the better of you, you may well find yourself spending every waking hour searching and applying for jobs. While this will almost certainly yield some results, you may find you just end up feeling exhausted, frustrated and disillusioned. Be a little more selective with your jobs, and don’t let the job hunt completely consume you. Consider devoting the morning (say 9am-1pm) to looking for work, and spend the rest of the day taking your mind off things with something else – go to the gym, or do some gardening. You may well find that taking the pressure off, and allowing you to think about something other than jobs will allow you to come back refreshed, and make those applications that bit more irresistible.

If All Else Fails, Consider Retraining…

It may make sense at first to look at areas where you have experience, but if it really isn’t working for you (or you simply feel like a change), this could be the perfect time to retrain. While online travel jobs (my area of expertise) are limited, there are other areas of work which are considered ‘recession proof’ – there will always be the same (or more) demand for teachers, police officers and health care. There are also areas of work which come into their own in recession – accountants are all important as businesses have to keep a close eye on their books, and consultants are often in demand as companies look to cut costs.

Getting a job during a recession is hard work, but if you are serious about it and make it a full time job in itself, you’ll certainly be able to get one. Keep these tips in mind, make sure your CV is up to date and the best it can be and there’s no reason you can’t move on to bigger and better things – even while the world’s economies falter.

Gail Kenny is the managing director of Puregenie, an online travel jobs website. The site deals with recruitment in the ever growing travel sector and offers a wide selection of online travel jobs, as well as other roles involved in maintaining a presence online. Although the site is mainly travel focused, it also displays vacancies in the hospitality and leisure industries.